Unlike most of the countless musicians living in Brooklyn, Rebecca Pronksy was born and bred in the borough. She has a reputation for being a country singer from the city, but these days there's less twang in her music, thanks in part to the ambient guitar supplied by her husband and sidekick Rich Bennett. Rebecca and Rich joined me in Studio A for a session highlighting songs from her fine CD, "Only Daughter."
Christian Wargo is one of those artists that's just too creative to be contained by one band. Joining his Fleet Foxes and Crystal Skulls bandmate, Casey Wescott, and brothers Ian and Peter Murray, he founded the group Poor Moon. With a shape-shifting vibe that borrows a shimmering haze from the late '60s (and its name from a Canned Heat song), the band delivers Wargo's songs in a spectrum of moods, and the band delivered live too, in this Studio A session.
Portland, Oregonians are pretty lucky to have Sallie Ford &The Sound Outside as a hometown band. The quartet dedicates itself to blending the best elements of rock, roots, swing and country, with a bluesy swagger and a gospel sense of testimony. Powered by Sallie's singular voice and attitude, the band's sophomore album Untamed Beast is out today, and ahead of an upcoming tour with Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, Sallie and the guys made a return trip to Studio A.
For 30 years (with a few breaks), the guys of Camper Van Beethoven have blended punk and ska with sounds of world music and even folk. Not exactly prolific after disbanding in the '90s, Camper has nonetheless delivered some great albums since then, the most recent of which is La Costa Perdida. Catch their California vibe in conversation, live tunes, and video.
The Scottish-born singer Angela McCluskey has a gorgeous, distinctive sound—and she's no wallflower either. Although she often has a hand in several projects at a time, Angela's latest is a solo release called Lambeth Palace. Her singular voice and vibrant personality is front and center on the album, just as it was in her latest visit to Studio A.
The bitter split between New Order and its founding bassist, Peter Hook, could have put an end to the legendary Manchester band, but Bernard Sumner had other ideas. Over the last year, New Order (without Hook) has toured worldwide and Sumner says new music might be next. On a rainy day last October, I chatted with a flu-ish Sumner at New York's Soho House, where we discussed New Order's history and resurrection, his friend Ian Curtis, and much more.
Doctor by day and bandleader by night, Rupa Marya has put together quite a life. With her band of enlightened nomads, she's traveled the world and gained a perspective that's as infectious as her music. Rupa and The April Fishes' third album, Build, has a political thrust backed by a heady blend of raga, rockabilly and more—which they came by to share live in Studio A.
Kopecky Family Band is one of FUV's New Artists to Watch in 2013, and even though they aren't actually a family, they've built a musical idea with a deep sense of kindred spirit. Based in Nashville, this lively sextet recently delivered its full-length debut album, Kids Raising Kids, and on a visit to FUV, they proved that family isn't just where you come from, it's what you build.
Richard Thompson is a triple threat. He’s a brilliant songwriter, an outstanding guitarist (and one of the most underrated) and a great singer. All three of those skills were very apparent when Richard made his return visit to WFUV recently. Richard has a brand new album out called Electric, which was produced by Buddy Miller and recorded in Nashville in Buddy’s home recording studio.
Ron Sexsmith's melancholic folk-pop has been so well-honed that even his idols like Elvis Costello and John Hiatt sing his praises. His new album, Forever Endeavour, was produced by his longtime collaborator Mitchell Froom, and it's fresh off the presses today. Celebrate with a few solo, acoustic, live performances by Ron in Studio A, which you can watch too.
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